Somebody (I can’t remember who) sent me a news story about an Afghan man, and his mother, who murdered his wife for having daughters instead of sons:

Kunduz, Afghanistan (CNN) — Police in the northern Afghanistan province of Kunduz are looking for a man they say strangled his wife after she bore him a third child that was not a son.

Sher Mohammed, 29, married his 22-year-old wife, Storay, four years ago, police said.

The couple had three daughters, the last of whom was born three months ago, said Khanabad district police chief Sufi Habib.

After the youngest daughter was born, Mohammed blamed his wife for not being able to deliver a boy, Habib said.

“Finally on Saturday, the man, with the help of his mother, first beat the woman and then strangled her to death,” the police chief said.

I’ll admit that I, too, wanted a son.  My own wife had borne three daughters and all I wanted was one son.  But I never considered killing my wife over this; there were plenty of legitimate reasons to be angry with her – but that’s another story.

As it turned out, the very next child was a boy.  He was a handful, very cute and full of energy.  As he grew, we spent hours playing, wrestling, and having all sorts of fun.  But there’s a special kind of love a father has for his daughters.  If there’s anything more cute than a kitten, it’s a little girl – your own little girl.  The affection I felt, and still feel, toward my daughters was so great, it was almost painful.  I enjoyed playing with their hair, teasing them and carrying them on my shoulders.  While I’m happy they grew up, I would gladly pay to have those early years back – just for a while.  When I dream about my daughters, they are always still little girls.  They will always be my little girls, even when they’re in their 60′s.

As for the Afghan individual who murdered his wife (assuming he’s guilty), he should have been grateful to her, not angry.  She brought something beautiful into the world – something that he should have valued above all else.  May all the curses of Allah be upon him and upon his mother.